Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

On the 15th century tower is a unique, one handed clock, painted direct onto the stonework. It is 16.5 feet in diameter and the hand is 9 feet long. There is a chapel dedicated to the memory of airmen who lost their lives on operations from nearby RAF Coningsby.

An ancient church building with its roots in the 11th Century, years of fascinating history and now a vibrant cafe and community centre with a contemporary feel. How did all that happen?

It is thought that a wooden church may have existed in Aldbourne as early as the 7th or 8th century and the Domesday Book (1086) records that the church held two hides of land, sufficient for two plough teams, to provide for the church and priest.

Standing forlorn, with only a farm for company, St Michael's is a precious little building. Although restored in 1877 and built of a patchwork of greenstone and brick, the church is essentially Norman.

12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian's Wall and the Roman fort of Aballava and situated alongside the Hadrian's wall Path and cycleway. King Edward I (Longshanks) died nearby and lay in State in the church for ten days in 1307. One of only three fortified churches in Cumbria, with visible architectural features from the turbulent past of this border area.

The abbey is a spectacular sight, perched on a rocky hill and surrounded by blue waters. At low tide, the Mount is approached by a historic stone causeway, used by pilgrims in the Middle Ages. The battlemented chapel is lovely and is still a place of pilgrimage. Behind the altar are three 15th century alabaster panels that were crafted in Nottingham. The west end of the church contains a fine 15th century rose window with early 20th century glass.

Bowness parish church, dedicated to St Michael, has a long and interesting history. The first Rector recorded was in 1265, though it is thought there must have been a church on the present site for around 900 years, as the font dates back to Norman times. Sited in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, adjacent to the hidden gem of the Solway Firth, St Michael's Church offers the visitor a peaceful space for reflection, together with many points of historical interest.

It is thought that there was a church on this site before the Norman Conquest as the Domesday Book mentions a St Michael's Church in the east of the ancient parish of Manchester.

St Michael's church is a Grade I listed building, one of only 24 in the New Forest. Simon Jenkins makes it one of England's Thousand Best Churches: 'the masterpeice of William White... The interior is astonishing... a treasure house of preRaphaelite artworks'.

A church has stood on this site, a small hill above Hawkshead, for over 800 years. The present church was built around 1490 (parts of the tower are older) and has been little changed since the late 16th century. Grade 1 listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late mediaeval, vernacular Lake District church. It has literary connections with Wordsworth and was also the home the home of Archbishop Sandys in the 16th century.